Founded by architect Jayden Ali, with an ambition to shape buildings and cities that enrich and inspire the communities that live in them, JA Projects is a young, multidisciplinary practice operating at the intersection of architecture, urban strategy, art and performance. Now a team of 10, the practice is focused on experience and driven by values – determined to work on projects that bring as much to the social fabric of a place as they do to the physical cityscape. For the JA team, a successful project is one that speaks to and for the people it serves. In effect, that means designing spaces with consideration of how they are used, who uses them, and how that might improve their lives. The practice’s recent and ongoing projects include a series of interventions on London’s Low Line, a walking route connecting Bankside’s historic railway architecture; leading a team transforming key areas of Camberwell Station Road on behalf of Southwark Council; and working on the £8 billion Thamesmead Waterfront development. JA Projects are responsible for the design of the V&A’s exhibition Fashioning Masculinities, running until November 2022, and Jayden himself has been named by the British Council as one of the four-strong curatorial team behind the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2023.
We’re huge fans of Jayden Ali’s belief that the ultimate focus of architecture should be on the people who experience it, and that its social benefit is every bit as important as its aesthetics. We’re working with the JA Projects team to spread the word about their distinctive philosophy and approach, and tell the stories of their ongoing efforts to transform London for the future.
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